Gerard van Velde

Gerard Pieter Hendrik van Velde ( born November 30, 1971 in Wapenveld ) is a Dutch speed skater.

He was a member since the early 1990s, to the best Dutch skaters, but missed at the Olympic Winter Games in 1992 and 1994 respectively just a medal.

The introduction of folding skates began in the late 1990s. Van Velde could not get used to the new shoes and ended his career. However, the Dutch speed skater Rintje Ritsma was looking for a training partner and so van Velde began again with the speed skating and could even 2002, qualify again for the Winter Olympics, this time in Salt Lake City. There he won something surprising with world record gold medal over 1000 meters.

Four years later, he failed to qualify for the Games in Turin.